Are you ready to go paperless?

Feb 5, 2018

Reduced costs. Better security and compliance. Increased productivity. And greater employee satisfaction. These are some of the challenges facing business owners every day – no matter the size of the organisation, writes Mark Taylor, CEO of Nashua.
One of the surest ways to overcome some of these challenges is the transition into a truly digitised working environment. Paperless business is reality and the rapid reduction of paper usage is well underway as more businesses are evolving from physical document storage to digital document management systems.

Looking to the future

South African businesses are already ahead of the world in their move towards a paperless environment. The reason: convenience and speed.

In the United Kingdom, citizens still receive invoices, bills and documentation via the postal service. South African’s rarely receive physical invoices. The Johannesburg municipality is already delivering invoices online without a single sheet of paper changing hands. Even courier companies are making deliveries and confirming receipt digitally. It all adds up to quicker transactions and accurate information transferal.

That said, sectors like mining and education still have the highest print usage in South Africa.

Understandably, taking the plunge and making the transition to a fully digitised document management system is enough to make even the bravest of business owners anxious. However, the world is evolving into a truly digital environment. Taking the first step, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction.

Storing documents digitally streamlines processes thanks to faster, accurate and global access to documentation without couriers and filing. It will also reduce the down-time on printing and delivering paper, as well as the related staff frustrations.

What’s more, employees across the business find they have more time to add value in other areas, such as innovation, rather than wasting time sifting through outdated filing archives and pushing paper around.

Reduced costs and increased financial gains

The initial costs of procuring digital document management software and training employees are far outweighed by the financial wins. Making the switch means fewer consumables, such as paper and toner, lower service and support costs of printers, as well as reduced energy costs. Moreover, an optimised, motivated workforce produces higher quality work at a faster pace. All of this adds up to financial gains in the long run.

New levels of compliancy

No matter what business you’re in, your documentation contains vital and often confidential information. A digital document management system provides a new level of compliance with collecting, processing, storing and sharing other entity’s information. This is vital for compliance with the PoPI Act.

New tools for workflow

Storing documents digitally offers new tools which will improve productivity and security. Information can be disseminated simultaneously by making comments on documents with personalised notes that the full team have access to immediately. Information can also be censored and allocated agreed-upon access rights. This not only enhances security but slipstreams processes even more.

Easy and seamless processes

Understandably, most key-decision makers might find it intimidating to digitise their organisation’s processes and the concerns about the upheaval to the business are well founded. However, the short-term rewards will far outweigh the initial fear of change. With the right technology and team to guide and implement the process, the transition can be seamless.

Adopting digital document management software that suits your business, increases efficiency, improves decision-making and reduces costs, is paramount to futureproof business. Ensure you work with the right consultant to make recommendations on the best solution and implementation plan to ensure the least disruption. Depending on the business, managed document solutions can be implemented by process type, by department or other operations best suited to the organisation.

An experienced solutions partner can assist business owners to make the transition from paper to digital with surprisingly less disruptions than anticipated.

In today’s business market, the ability to efficiently access information in a cost-effective, secure and compliant manner is fundamental to success. Digital document management solutions will give your business the competitive edge.